Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), chair of the Judiciary Committee that will mark up any House legislation on the issue, told NPR this week that he will not support a bill that eventually grants citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in America.

“People have a pathway to citizenship right now: It’s to abide by the immigration laws, and if they have a family relationship, if they have a job skill that allows them to do that, they can obtain citizenship,” Goodlatte said. “But simply someone who broke the law, came here, [to] say, ‘I’ll give you citizenship now,’ that I don’t think is going to happen.”

***

Key senators are exploring an immigration bill that would force every U.S. worker—citizen or not—to carry a high-tech identity card that could use fingerprints or other personal markers to prove a person’s legal eligibility to work…

“I subscribe to the ‘if you build it, they will come’ school of regulation,” said Chris Calabrese of the American Civil Liberties Union, who said he worried that the card would be required to board airplanes, to vote or perhaps purchase a firearm. “It becomes in essence a permission slip to do all of the ordinary things that are your rights as an American,” he said.

Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration-policy expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said: “It’s not only a gross violation of individual privacy, it’s an enormously high-cost policy that will have an incredibly low to negligible benefit.”

***

“I’m not optimistic about common sense immigration reform passing this Congress,” Cruz said during a speech at the Dallas Texas Tool & Die company. “I don’t believe President Obama wants an immigration bill to pass, instead I think he wants a political issue. His objective is to push so much on the table that he forces Republicans walk away from the table because then he wants to use that issue in 2014 and 2016 as a divisive wedge issue.”…

“The president has been focusing on amnesty, a path to citizenship that skips ahead of the line,” Cruz said. “That, he knows, is a position not supported by a great many Americans and not a position that will achieve bi-partisan cooperation. It’s designed to scuttle the bill.”

***

[O]n the single most important issue — instant amnesty — there is no real difference between the proposals.

Rubio calls it “probationary legal status.” Obama uses the term “lawful prospective immigrant.” But both would instantly legalize the 11 million illegal immigrants living here today. The moment either bill is signed, the 11 million become eligible for legal residence, the right to work, and relief from the prospect of deportation.

Their life in the shadows is over, which is what matters to them above all. Call the status probationary or prospective, but, in reality, it is permanent. There is no conceivable circumstance (short of criminality) under which the instant legalization would be revoked.

This is bad policy. It repeats the 1986 immigration reform that legalized (the then) 3 million while promising border enforcement — which was never carried out. Which opened the door to today’s 11 million. And to the next 11 million as soon as the ink is dry on this reform…

Regrettably, there appears to be zero political will to undertake this kind of definitive solution. Democrats have little real interest in border enforcement. They see a rising Hispanic population as the key to a permanent Democratic majority. And Republicans are so panicked by last year’s loss of the Hispanic vote by 44 points that they have conceded instant legalization, as in the Rubio proposal.

***

Amnesty never shows up in polls as a top concern of Hispanics. It’s a top concern of employers, not workers — which isn’t going to do much to help Republicans shed that “Party of the Rich” image. After Reagan signed an amnesty bill in 1986, unemployment among Hispanics skyrocketed when, suddenly, there was increased competition for low-skill jobs. That’s precisely why businesses want amnesty, not because of their deep concern for the plight of the underclass…

So why do Hispanics vote Democratic? Like most legal immigrants since Teddy Kennedy’s 1965 Immigration Act, Hispanic immigrants are poor. The poverty rate of second-generation Hispanics is lower than the first — but the third generation’s poverty rate is higher than the second…

This isn’t because of a failure to “reach out.” Republicans can’t beat Democrats at the government assistance game. From single mothers to corporate subsidy-takers, they want your money and the Democrats promise to give it to them.

***

Understanding English is supposedly a precondition for gaining U.S. citizenship. Why, then, is it even necessary for politicians to address voters in Spanish? Either their English skills are not what we have been led to believe, or they simply prefer to use Spanish. Neither possibility is reassuring.

There appears to be no similar stampede of candidates, including Hispanic politicians, beating down the doors of Chinese or Korean Berlitz schools to communicate better with their Asian constituents. The assumption is: Asians and other immigrants will learn English; Hispanics, on the other hand, need to be reached in Spanish. The relative size of the various populations is no excuse: if using someone’s native or legacy language is appropriate and respectful for one language group, why shouldn’t the practice extend to all groups?…

Pro-amnesty conservatives regularly assert that assimilation is proceeding wonderfully, because most second- and third-generation Hispanics allegedly understand English. Is Spanish spreading, then, because the arrival of even more immigrants speaking only Spanish overwhelms this progress, or because Hispanic-Americans themselves prefer Spanish? Again, neither possibility is reassuring…

Conservatives have traditionally stressed the unum rather than the pluribus in our national motto (which originally referred to the unification of the states into a single nation, not to our contemporary notion of “diversity”). If the reality on the ground looks more and more like “E pluribus duo,” shouldn’t we care?

***

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, one of a handful of Senators who have been working on bipartisan legislation on immigration, has already floated the possibility of walking away from the negotiating table if the terms of a deal aren’t acceptable. The political risks of leaving the issue unresolved are significant for a party that won just one in four Hispanic voters in 2012. If the negotiations broke off permanently, Republicans would have to quickly embark on a public relations campaign blaming Obama for making unreasonable demands and playing politics with the issue. (And, yes, that sound a lot like what Cruz is doing right now.) Winning a message battle on immigration could be complicated by some of the louder voices — Iowa Rep. Steve King, for example — who are long time opponents of any sort of immigration compromise…

Rubio — and other smart party strategists — know that if a deal can’t be reached on immigration, Republicans’ chances of winning the White House in 2016 decrease…

…you’re not going to like what I’m doing on the 1-25 Palin thread!…I’m having a one-sided conversation with your girlfriend! (only way I can do it without hurling chunks)…she went down there for attention…so I’m giving her more thoughts and attention than any one person… in the history of Hot Air!…you better start wooing her up here!

Hey guys, Bmore is a secret Jedi warrior. I thought that he was a nice, pie-eating family man. But late late last night, I saw him in action. His light saber flying all over the place. He be dangerous. Just a friendly warning. ;-)

Key senators are exploring an immigration bill that would force every U.S. worker—citizen or not—to carry a high-tech identity card that could use fingerprints or other personal markers to prove a person’s legal eligibility to work…

I will comment on this. Obama and the Dems are salivating to get the tabs on citizens. Some on the Left such as the ACLU won’t like this anymore than anyone else.

Obama is pushing this already with his Common Core education program that’s been foisted on the states. Databases are being set up to track students from birth on.

Not true, I am actually gentle and kind mostly with an occasional violent out burst. I have certain things I will not tolerate. One is being controlled by some else and being instructed on what to do. I accept this as a possible shortcoming in the eyes of some. However I am not likely to change. I am an independent Man. I rely on no one for any.

This is bad policy. It repeats the 1986 immigration reform that legalized (the then) 3 million while promising border enforcement — which was never carried out. Which opened the door to today’s 11 million. And to the next 11 million as soon as the ink is dry on this reform…

It went from 3 million in ’86 to at least 11 million now. What makes us think that it will be just another 11 million? It would be a multiple of 11 million, and then some. Yes, and then some, because the Hispanic voting block would have such force that they could demand liberalization of laws allowing Mexicans to migrate freely to this country. The Hispanic numbers would swell. Ultimately, it would be like one country. The U.S. of Mexico. What would stop that from happening??

Don’t anyone tell Marco Rubio, John McCain or Jeff Flake that nearly 80 percent of Hindus voted for Obama, or who knows what they’ll come up with.

I understand the interest of business lobbies in getting cheap, unskilled labor through amnesty, but why do Republican officeholders want to create up to 20 million more Democratic voters, especially if it involves flouting the law? Are the campaign donations from the soulless rich more important than actual voters?

Without citing any evidence, the Rubio Republicans simply assert that granting 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens amnesty will make Hispanics warm to the GOP. Yes, that’s worked like a charm since Reagan signed an amnesty bill in 1986!

True, Romney lost the Hispanic vote, but so did John McCain, the original Rubio. (McCain lost Hispanics by 67 percent compared to 71 percent who voted against Romney.)

President George H.W. Bush created “diversity visas,” massively increased legal immigration and eliminated the English requirement on the naturalization test. In the 1992 election, he won 25 percent of the Hispanic vote — less than what Romney got.

Although Hispanic politicians, spokesmen and TV networks benefit from Rubio’s mass legalization scheme, there’s no evidence that Hispanic voters care very much about it.

Amnesty never shows up in polls as a top concern of Hispanics. It’s a top concern of employers, not workers — which isn’t going to do much to help Republicans shed that “Party of the Rich” image. After Reagan signed an amnesty bill in 1986, unemployment among Hispanics skyrocketed when, suddenly, there was increased competition for low-skill jobs. That’s precisely why businesses want amnesty, not because of their deep concern for the plight of the underclass.

How’s this for an idea: Why don’t Republicans remind Hispanic voters that the more low-skilled immigrants who are admitted, the lower their wages will be? That at least has the virtue of being untried.

… … …

The canard about Hispanics being “natural conservatives” comes from the same cliche machine that gave us the one about blacks being “natural conservatives.” At least blacks really are social conservatives — they just vote Democratic, anyway.

Anytime, you just keep coming up with them. Lol! I too wish Allah was not resting, but I understand as to why he is. I gladly follow in his footsteps to make a meager attempt at it . He was my original inspiration way back when. ; )

you’re not going to like what I’m doing on the 1-25 Palin thread!…I’m having a one-sided conversation with your girlfriend! (only way I can do it without hurling chunks)…she went down there for attention…so I’m giving her more thoughts and attention than any one person… in the history of Hot Air!…you better start wooing her up here!

KOOLAID2 on February 22, 2013 at 12:59 AM

From what I’ve seen she most likely has evaporated. Rusty better hurry, won’t be much left, LOL

Awww, that’s very nice, thanks:-) Sometimes I join in, but other times I just enjoy everyone’s banter. I think the humor is great and at times finding myself LOL. A lot of talent here. You should get together and write a play or a book!

Someone once told me that success was what happened to you once you ran out of thing to fail at. The list of things I have managed to fail at is… ummm, rather extensive, perhaps I should run for Governor, just to check that one off the list and perhaps get a little closer to succeeding at something… o_O

Well, if you and crosby can figure out how to put a team together and raise the money for campaigning I guess I’m game for a run… O_O

SWalker on February 22, 2013 at 1:35 AM

And with that… I’m out for the evening, time to turn back into a pumpkin for a couple of hours. Trying to find a job in SoCal is damned hard work and I need to be up by the crack of noon to get cracking on it… ;p